Process of making carbon monoxid and hydrogen.



rnuum u: mnInNG CARBON MONOXID AND HYDROGEN.

APPLICATION FILED un. 12. 191s.

1,107,582. Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

BOY H. AND ROY H. UHLINGER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN N ITEC-PRODUCTS COM- PANY,F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF CARBON `TN'OXID AN D H'YDROGEN.

To all Awhom it may concern: Y.

Be it known that we, ROY H. BRow'NLEE and ROY H. Unnln'onn, citizens ofthe United States, residing-at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghenyand State Vof Pennsylproducts of combustion of internal combustion orexplosion engines, or other combustion chamber, whereby to produce thecarbon monoxidand hydrogen as by-products of the original fuel, in themanner more fully hereinafter described.

The process o1 the invention may be carried out in connection withsuitable installation of mechanism, and will be readily understood byreference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, showing theprincipal elements employed. ln practising the invention, nearly pureoxygen, made in any suitable manner, is first mixed with natural gas,coal gas, or any other suitable gaseous, liquid or solid carbonaceoussubstance in themixing chamber or carbureter of an internal explosionengine, and the resulting mixture is e..'ploded in the chamber orcylinder of the engine for the production of power, or in any suitablechamber adapted to the purpose. It is intended that the mixture shall beso regulated as to be supplied with only sufficient oxygen for anincomplete combustion of the carbonaceous materials used, whereby largeyields of carbon monoxid and hydrogen am produced at the same4 time.

The terms exploded and burned may be understood as synonymous in so farasthey indicate combustion generally, differing merely in rate of speed.For example, if natural gas is,used, a mixture of equal volumes ofoxygen and gas are )referably employed with a compression be oreexplosion of seventy to eighty pounds, although a mixture differing fromthe above may be employed and be exploded under any pressure desired.Under these conditions, fully fifty per cent. over the horse powercapacity of thevengine with a normal mixture of gas and air is attained,and at the same time a Specification o( Letters Patent. Application medApril-1a, ma.

-and by absorbents, as ammomaeal cupiousv Patented Aug. 18, 1914. SerialHo. 76,674.

resulting volume of carbon monoxid equal to-th'e volume of the originalcombus'- tible gas is obtained, besides considerably more than an equalvolume of hydrogen.

Under the above conditions, if 1000 cubic feet of Pennsylvania naturalgas is used,

about 100 cubic feet of carbon dioxifl, a?

950 to 1000 cubic feet of carbon monoxi and I300-1350 cubic feet ofhydrogen will be" obtained.

The mixture of carbon dioxid, carbon monoxid and hydrogen is next passedthrough chambers in which suitable contained absorbents, as'calciumoxidi'and hydroxid (lime) remove the ca rbon dioxid,

chlorid, or other suitable substances remove the carbon monoxid, leavingthe hydrogen with a small content of nitrogen for further use. Thecarbon dioxid and carbon monoxid may in tzu-n be obtained from theabsorbente by heating.

Instead of absorbing the gases as above described, the exhaust gasesfrom the engine or other explosion chamber to remove the moisture, thencompressed, and the carbon -dioxid and carbon monoxid liquefied in turn.The small amount of nitrogen contained in the mixture will be liquefiedwith the carbon monoxid, leaving very pure hydrogen.

The process may be carried-out by the use of apparatus similarto thatshown in our co-pending application, Serial No. 760673' for process ofmaking carbon dioxid, hydrogen and nitrogen.

Referring to the diagrammatic drawing, Figure 1, 2 is an internalcombustion engine to. which the explosive mixture in the proportionsstated is supplied from a mixer 3,

and compressed and exploded in the engine. 95

The resulting products of combustion, steam, carbon dioxid, carbonmonoxid and hydro' gen pass by waste or exhaust pipe 4 to a suitablechamber or tower 5, or through seva eral such, containing absorbent, asfecting rempval of the carbon dioxid, a. conduit. 6 conveying the carbonmonoxid and hydrogen to one or more similar towers 7,V wherein thecarbon monoxid will be removed, in the manner stated, leaving the hydrogen and small content of nitrogen, which is carried olf by a. pipe 8to any suitable storage vessel.

nearly 56 may be chilled. i

lime, ef- 100.

ln Fig. 2, the exhaust gases from the engine 2 or other explosionchamber are carried through agrefrigerating coil 8 to remore themoisture and then into a compressor 9, the carbon dioxid beingliquefied. and collected by a receiver 10 having a suitable outlet'lpipe 11. The remaining gases are then carried over to a compressor 12Where the carbon monoxid and remaining mtrogen'ls liquefied andcollected in a receiver 13 having a suitable outlet 14. ,The resultinghydrogen passes by pipe 15- to a receiver 16.

That 'we claim is:

'1. The process of making carbon monoxid and hydrpgen consistingr inmixing a carbonaceous.' substance with an amount of oxygen suicient tosupport incomplete combustion of the mixture to produce a maximum amountof carbon monoxid and hydrogen but insufficient to support combustionsufficiently7 complete to produce the normal amount of carbon dioxid andwater', exploding the mixture in a Suitable chamber, and then separatelyseparating the carbon monoxlci and hydrogen from the other products ofcombustion, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of making carbon dioxid, carbon monoxid and hydrogenconsisting in mixing a carbonaceous substance with an amount of oxygensullicient to support incomplete combustion of the mixture to produce amaximum amount of carbon monoxid and hydrogen but insuicient to supportcombustion suiciently complete to produce the normal amount of carbon-dioxid and water, exploding the mixture in a suitable chamber, and thenseparately separating the carbon dioxid, carbon monoxid, and hydrogen,substantially as set forth.v

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ROY H. BROWNLEE. RoY HUHMNGER.

Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, FREDK. STAUB.

